The National Day of Arts in Care Homes is an annual event championing, promoting, and encouraging arts engagement in care settings and highlighting the health and wellbeing benefits for all involved. In celebration of the National Day of Arts in Care Homes 2024, 100% Digital Leeds has developed an engaging programme of creative workshops open to care providers in Leeds, free of charge. This programme is open to all care settings including residential care homes, day services, supported living, recovery hubs, hospices, and unpaid carers giving one to one support.
The programme includes a range of art forms and cultural activities. Sessions are suitable to the needs of people being cared for, such as older people, people living with dementia, and people with learning disabilities.
We can help you with the digital bit
Most of the sessions are delivered remotely via Zoom or Teams so multiple care settings can join in at the same time.
Each session description includes details of tech requirements. Anything in brackets isn’t essential but ‘nice to have’. For example, for sessions saying ‘(camera)’, participants can be on camera if your setting has access to a camera, the participants are comfortable being on camera, and your care setting has the relevant permissions, but being on camera isn’t essential to participating.
Most sessions require only a screen and speakers so where residents are joining in as a group the session could be played through a TV. If a resident is joining the session solo they could use a laptop, iPad, or other tablet. Contact 100% Digital Leeds if your care setting needs support.
How to book
For all activities email jennifer.rhodes@leeds.gov.uk to book. Please note that the in-person activities are limited to one care setting per booking. When an in-person activity is booked it will be removed from the timetable as it will no longer be available. The links to the online activities will be sent out the week before.
Timetable of activities
Monday 23 September
11:00am Canal and River Trust Gongoozler Gameshow
The Canal and River Trust are pleased to offer you their lively and interactive digital resource “The Gongoozler Gameshow”. Delivered in the style of a gameshow, the session will help you to discover the wide and diverse range of nature that can be found along their 2,000 miles of waterways.
Learn more about the six different kinds of habitat that can be found on and around the towpaths and the plants and animals that call it their home. Through the True or False round, the Name that Creature round, and the Countdown Conundrum, you’ll learn more about the canal environment and the organisation that helps to keep it alive. So come on down and join!
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: Live workshop, delivered remotely via Zoom/Teams (TBC)
Equipment: Screen, speakers, keyboard (camera)
1:30pm Richard and Honey, singer and acoustic guitarist
Richard, joined by his dog Honey will play a variety of music for you, accompanied by his guitar. Richard’s soulful voice and skillful guitar playing will have people singing along to their favourite tunes and Honey will steal the show with her playful antics.
Richard Stirland is a professional singer and guitarist who specialises in care home entertainment, currently performing in many homes across the North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire region. Richard has worked in the care sector for many years as well as performing in care homes. He is accompanied by his 7 year old cockapoo, Honey. The songs he sings are chosen to trigger memories, stir emotions or just to get people moving. Sing-a-long songs can be included so that everyone knows the words to be able to join in. He is available for any events, functions or parties over the year .
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: Live workshop, delivered remotely via Teams
Equipment: Screen, speakers, keyboard (camera)
Tuesday 24 September
12:15pm Dance into the Spotlight with Ascendance
Dance into the Spotlight! Join Ascendance’s vibrant and uplifting dance session to learn a dazzling Cabaret routine. Easy to follow and full of jazzy flair, this is your chance to shine. Grab your hats, feathers, and sparkles, and let’s sing and dance together! Guaranteed to bring smiles and get everyone moving. Whether seated or standing, everyone can join in the fun. Life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret!
Duration: 45 minutes
Format: Live workshop, delivered remotely via Zoom
Equipment: Screen, speakers, keyboard (camera)
1:30pm Aspire CBS Rock and Roll Bingo – Oldies but Goldies
Join Aspire CBS for an exciting online rock and roll themed bingo session. Held live over Zoom, Aspire CBS will play a line and a full house and when your bingo card is full, unmute and shout, ‘Bingo!’ as loud as you can. There are 20 songs on each bingo card – when you have booked onto this session you will be sent bingo cards to download and print (single-sided).
Duration: 90 minutes
Format: Live workshop, delivered remotely via Zoom
Equipment: Screen, speakers, keyboard (camera)
Wednesday 25 September
10:45am Wellbeing Wednesday with Ascendance – Dance into the Spotlight
Dance into the Spotlight! Join Ascendance’s vibrant and uplifting dance session to learn a dazzling Cabaret routine. Easy to follow and full of jazzy flair, this is your chance to shine. Grab your hats, feathers, and sparkles, and let’s sing and dance together! Guaranteed to bring smiles and get everyone moving. Whether seated or standing, everyone can join in the fun. Life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret!
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: Live workshop, delivered remotely via Zoom
Equipment: Screen, speakers, keyboard (camera)
Friday 27 September
11:00am In-person activity by the Canal and River Trust
For this in-person session you have the choice of two activities:
Lace arts activity
Learn more about the history of “poor man’s lace”: the beautiful hand-crafted crochet that traditionally decorated the narrowboats of the canals. Look at examples of how the crochet was used to make working boats more like home and have a go at making your own simple, printed version of the craft.
Virtual reality session
Experience the canals and waterways in comfort using virtual reality.
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: In-person workshop, delivered in your care setting.
2:00pm Active Communities – RJC Dance online dance session for adults and elders
This one-hour online session will be delivered by diverse dance specialist Janetta Maxwell who has over 30 years’ experience in the community dance world. Using the artform of dance as a vehicle to encourage and motivate, participants will take part in a movement and exercise session enhanced by music and rhythm to activate bodies and minds. The session will support socialisation, creative expression, memory retention, physical fitness and enable positive mental health.
The session will include a warm-up covering mobilisation, movement vocabulary, strength, stamina, stretching and flexibility. This will be followed by creative movement designed to build a safe, friendly environment reflective of the music, movement, social dance of the cultural era of the participants.
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: Live workshop, delivered remotely via Zoom
Equipment: Screen, speakers, keyboard (camera)
2:00pm In-person activity by the Canal and River Trust
For this in-person session you have the choice of two activities:
Lace arts activity
Learn more about the history of “poor man’s lace”: the beautiful hand-crafted crochet that traditionally decorated the narrowboats of the canals. Look at examples of how the crochet was used to make working boats more like home and have a go at making your own simple, printed version of the craft.
Virtual reality session
Experience the canals and waterways in comfort using virtual reality.
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: In-person workshop, delivered in your care setting.
Online resources
Yorkshire Dance printable Dance Cards for staff
Link to Yorkshire Dance Spotify account with example music
Yorkshire Dance – Dance on Toolkit – A toolkit of inspiration, research and resources to help develop dance programmes for older people.
Barings Foundation Treasury of Arts Activities for Older People – PDF with a range of activities to download.
Weaving the Web – Bringing heritage to life in a digital world from Sunny Bank Mills – use the 360 degree images and tour of the mills to bring heritage to life in a digital world.
The Weaving the Web project acknowledges that preservation of the textile history at Sunny Bank Mills is vital, but that in order to survive the Collection must be accessible to all. There are now over 50 objects available to view online and you can click, zoom, scroll, rotate and explore all of the digital collection in 3D.
Sunny Bank Mills virtual tours and oral histories You can also pay a virtual visit to the site and listen to oral histories from June, a previous worker at the mill, or take a tour with John and William, two 4th generation managing directors.
All activities can be used to spark discussion and share memories, sometimes forgotten, of lives in industries and times now considered ‘heritage’. Bring their lives and history to life in a digital world.
Leeds Lieder Education Videos performances of ‘art song’.
Memory boxes from Marks and Spencer.
Sporting resources for older people from Sporting Memories.
Visual archive of Sunny Bank Mill.
Archive of old photos of Leeds at Leodis.net.
The My House of Memories app allows you to explore objects from the past and share memories together. It can be used by anyone, but has been designed for, and with, people living with dementia and their carers.
The BorrowBox app allows users to browse, preview, reserve, and download library titles on their electronic devices free of charge using a Leeds library card.
Leeds Libraries online resources including online magazines and newspapers.
MediciTV is the world leading classical music channel offering access to the best of classical music. Sign in using a Leeds library card.
Animal Live Cams – live animal cameras from zoos, farms, and wildlife reserves.
Online Games for Seniors – Free online games to help with mental stimulation, such as puzzles, crosswords, and card games.
60s Haircut Gallery – Collection of vintage hairstyle photos from the 1960s.
Virtual Museum Tours – Virtual tours of famous museums including The British Museum and The Louvre.
Exercise Videos for Older Adults – Free online exercise videos specifically designed for seniors, including chair exercises.
Online Music Therapy – Playlists and music therapy resources to stimulate memory and create a calming environment.
BBC Reminiscence Archive – A treasure trove of videos, photos, and stories.
Virtual Gardening Communities – Online communities or live gardening cameras.
Virtual Church Services – Access to virtual religious services.
Historic UK Photo Archives – Online archives of historic UK photos.
Nostalgic Radio Shows – Online stations or archives playing classic radio shows or music from past decades.
Live Streaming Religious Events – Links to live-streamed religious events or prayer services.